


Beginning: the Professor rehash

by artsyspikedhair



Series: no aunt petunia no: one with the traumatized harry [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Other, Sentient Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2020-01-07 12:04:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18410273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsyspikedhair/pseuds/artsyspikedhair
Summary: Professor Flitwick talks to Professor Quirrell about Mr. Potter.





	1. Minerva and the Sorting

Minerva McGonagall was one of the few Hogwarts employees who had not been hired by Albus Dumbledore. The others were Filius Flitwick, who was _gifted_ to Hogwarts in the 1760s’ aftermath of yet another Goblin War and Rolanda Hooch, who, like Minerva, was the legacy of Headmaster Dippet. As Minerva was hired before Albus’ takeover of Hogwarts, she had undergone the ritual magic binding all Professors had been required to undergo prior to Albus’ Headmastership. The ritual meant that Minerva’s magic (as well as Filius’ and Rolanda’s) was intertwined with the magic of Hogwarts. 

Albus had done away with the ritual magic binding, as his history with the Dark Arts meant that he was still biased against the old ways of doing magic. Of course, as Headmaster, he had had to bind his magic to the school, but after having done so he passed a new rule for hiring professors that did away with the ritual entirely. The fact that Hogwarts’ magic would never have willingly enabled Severus Snape to become a Professor, let alone a Master, had the ritual still been practiced was only one reason Albus had no regrets about ending the practice. The others, like everything else Albus did, would remain secret.

Minerva McGonagall was not a woman who typically regretted her choices. She loved her art of Transfiguration, she loved teaching, and she loved Hogwarts. Never did she regret having her magic connected to the school’s, not even when Hogwarts’ limitations became a stranglehold on Rolanda and Filius’ plans.

 The only time she ever held any emotion other than respectful awe for Hogwarts was the day she witnessed Harry James Potter’s Sorting. The Sortings, as Deputy Headmistress, were always her favorite time to be a Professor. Reading the names, watching the children react to the Great Hall, seeing their reactions before hearing the Hat reveal where they’d be for the next nine months - all of it was what kept Professor McGonagall in good spirits throughout the summer. She remembered the Sorting of Harry’s parents almost as vividly as she did her own - watching Lily Evans fearlessly take the Hat and speak to it out loud, arguing with it about her personality, watching James saunter up and immediately follow Pettigrew into Gryffindor - Minerva McGonagall had been friends with the Potter’s, and expected someone similar in their son.

Watching Harry Potter trembling up to the Sorting Hat was one of the worst experiences of Minerva’s life. She saw, as any trained adult would, the fear in the boy’s face, the undernourishment, the way he angled his posture as far from her as he could. She felt his flinch as she accidentally touched him in placing the Hat. 

Hogwarts’ magic prevented her from reacting - from beckoning over Poppy or even reassuring Harry that he was safe here. She was unable to bring the boy back to reality, and could only wait, could only take the Hat after its shout, could only call out the next name.

Never did McGonagall regret binding her magic, until her magic couldn’t help that poor, mistreated boy she had allowed Dumbledore to neglect. But by then, she was too late, and under the too-watchful eyes of Albus Dumbledore to help that underfed Ravenclaw.


	2. Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Flitwick talks to Professor Quirrell about Mr. Potter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are not necessarily in chronological order. This takes place directly after chapter 10

“Quirinus.”

”F-f-fil-l-li-us, wh-wh-what bringsss y-y-you to m-m-my of-f-fice?”

”I just finished talking to Mr. Potter, one of my first years, about his grades and he mentioned that he was having difficulties with connecting various concepts in his written work, which he said you expected from the students in their essays?”

”Y-Yessss, I ex-x-x-p-p-ppect my sstudentssss to con-n-nect what we cur-r-ren-n-t-ly learn t-t-to de-f-fensssive the-theory a-n-nd p-p-p-previous con-n-cepts. I will n-not make exceptionsss for the Boy-Who-Lived.”

”Nor do I expect you to, treat him differently because of his fame, that is. However, Mr. Potter was raised by Muggles, and rather neglectful ones at that, so his education prior to Hogwarts was...” Filius struggled to find a word that wouldn’t offend the former Muggle Studies Professor.

”Subpar?” Quirinus offered. Filius nodded.

”Indeed.”

”Why, then, isss Mr. P-p-potter not finding m-me him-s-s-self?”

”He said he develops headaches when he’s around you. Your-er-“ Filius struggled again with a kind turn-of-phrase, “protective odor is rather strong.”

”I don’t know wh-wh-what y-y-you expect me to d-do, if the boy won’t ssssee me himself.”

”I was hoping you had some books, perhaps, that might better explain the conceptual aspects of the class. You said right now you’re learning...” Filius checked his parchment for the comments. “The curse of the bogies.”

”yesss. I’m afraid that I don’t have any books on the concept,” Quirinus said, looking utterly unapologetic about it. “But if-f-for instance, Mr. P-p-potter wanted tutoring-“

”That’s fine, Quirinus. I must be off, the frogs need to be woken for choir rehearsal. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me,” Filius said, sounding utterly ungrateful to Quirinus as he exited.

”You did well,” a voice behind Quirinus’ turban whispered, prompting Quirinus to ask “really?” Like an idiot.

“No, you failed to procure the boy! Crucio!”

Meanwhile, Filius skipped on outside, unaware of his colleague’s distress, only upset at his own failure to help his student.


	3. Angry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snape’s experiences thus far

Severus Snape had been an angry boy before he ever met Albus Dumbledore (or Lily Evans, for that matter) but the anger of an abused child was nothing compared to the anger of an abused _and bullied_ child, one who naively trusted someone in power to help him. The man in power, Albus Dumbledore, not only failed to help him, but twisted the narrative of reality to make Severus into the bad one. And the anger after that incident in sixth year, a year after he drove away his only friend who knew what he was before Hogwarts, that anger grew and twisted until Severus became what Albus said he was - he became bad. Severus Snape became a murderer, a rapist, a sadistic man who took pleasure in hurting others because he had power now and he _deserved_ that position above Mudbloods. And then Severus Snape got the only person he ever thought he loved killed. And then Albus Dumbledore swooped in as leader of the Wizengamot and bought Snape a limited amount of freedom in return for a lifetime of controlling little brats until the Dark Lord returned. Now, Severus Snape was a furious man, and Dumbledore allowed him to release his hatred and anger out on the students in his class, because Dumbledore knew that his acceptance of this behavior was the only thing, besides the threat of Azkaban, stopping Snape from simply murdering the centenarian right in his office.

Yes, Severus Snape was a livid man in the guise of Professor, and then Harry bloody Potter began Hogwarts. Snape had to see the green eyes that once teared up from Petunia’s taunts staring at him from the face of a Potter. If Snape ever saw Harry smile, he would notice Harry inherited that too from his mum, but the Potions Master ensured the Potter brat never smiled in his vicinity. “Our newest _celebrity_ ” Snape sneered, and a tendril of excitement curled in his chest as the child’s face fell into a resigned disappointment. Both the excitement and the resigned blankness only grew as Snape fired question after question at the brat.

And Potter wasn’t the only one who had Snape inventing angry tirades in his mind over. No, the son of a former Death Eater was not only a student in Potions, but was one of his Slytherins. And that would be alright - after all, Snape accepted Malfoy as one of his - only Goyle the elder had spread doubts among the other Death Eaters about Snape’s true loyalties. Goyle had lied about Severus being reluctant to rape and torture Mudbloods to the Dark Lord, which resulted in Snape being tortured in response. Luckily, the Goyle boy inherited more of his mother’s looks and stature, so Severus could forget, usually, the history he had with the child’s father. His anger still slipped out, however, in subtle ways. Neither Potter nor Goyle would ever be considered Mister to the Professor. Both were regularly berated for perceived incompetence, albeit not as frequently as those who truly _were_ incompetent.

And Professor Snape saw, with his black sharp eyesight, that Potter had not been the one to hex Malfoy. He had a reputation to maintain, however, and the sight of the bat wing coming out of Draco’s skull reminded Snape of how he and his classmates -former friends now in Azkaban - hexed a Ravenclaw girl into nothing more than a deformed monstrosity. Lily Evans had been angry at Snape for that, but at the time he hadn’t cared. Now all he wanted was those green eyes to stop looking almost at him, the ghost of Evans haunting him even now. Snape noticed Harry never met his face directly, noticed the pathetic fear from the eleven year old, and successfully banished him from the classroom. Now he wouldn’t have memories to beat back for another six hours. 

Unfortunately, the hours move too quickly when dealing with impatient dunderheads, especially in a subject Snape had no expertise in other than in performing the Dark Arts, which even Dumbledore would fire him for teaching to teenagers. Severus ate his evening meal in the dungeons, awaiting the detention with an emotion between dread and irritation. Why did the Potter brat have to be a Ravenclaw? Hating him would be easier if he was a mere copy of his parents’ worst attributes.

You’re late.” Snape spat out, despite having never specified the time of the detention.

”I’m sorry, sir.” Potter’s face showed an exaggeration of remorse. Potter was mocking him, Snape was certain. (The difference between James and Harry disappeared from Snape’s thoughts. A Potter is a Potter, and they are all out to humiliate him.)

”You should be. What were you thinking, deliberately harming another student in _my_ class?!” And Mr. Malfoy would be on a regimen of antibiotics and immunosuppressive potions for the next six months, as his magic ate away at the foreign growth. Bat-Bogey was not a first year hex in most curricula for that very reason, a thought spurring up anger at the Defense Professor, so the rant continued. “Does P-PPP-Professor Quirrell allow you to get away with hexing your classmates?” Snape waited a minute, hoping the brat answered so he could get more evidence to back his suspicions around Quirrell. The brat merely stood, silent, so Snape stood as well, his full stature intimidating even to adult wizards.

The boy cowered, as Snape expected he would, and the answer only anger the Professor further”No sir! I’m sorry sir!”

”You will be, once I’m finished with you! Hand over your wand.” Intimidate, then begin the routine procedure for detentions. Oh, how Snape loved punishing first year students. By the time they’ve survived a year of his teaching, the fear dissipates and the detentions become far too boring.

Thinking of boredom, what was taking the Potter brat so long? The wand should be in Severus’ grip by now, making the punishment all the more uncomfortable as being separated from one’s wand is fundamentally unsettling, especially for those who have only newly received the wand. The brat must be too sentimental, to attached to his precious wood to move fast enough. “Now, boy!” Snape barked, and Harry threw his wand at the angry Professor. Snape caught the projectile, memories of James Potter’s snitch throwing flitting through his mind as he taunted the first year.

”How disrespectfully you treat your possessions, Potter. Didn’t your aunt ever teach you any manners?”

Potter’s eyes widened, and any verbal response from the boy would not be forthcoming, Snape presumed, finally noticing the child had been trembling. His eyes appeared glazed over, finally looking Snape in the face, so Snape decided to do some nonverbal Legilimency.

Punishments for eating too quickly at church, the punishments looking like painted nails digging into a child’s flesh, days spent locked in an enclosed space with no bathroom - disgusting, Severus thought, Potter truly is an animal, repressing any pity that might exist as images of a naked adult Petunia touching the child flashed through the child’s mind - sensory tangible memories of being molested - and Snape exited the mind immediately, having no desire to find out the extent of the perversions Petunia Evans might have enacted on her nephew. The brat needed to live with her, anyway, because otherwise the Death Eaters would kill him. Any punishments were likely well deserved, and the miserable woman deserved to have some fun for raising the brat.

And, his mind on deserved punishments, Snape had yet to assign one. “You’ll be cleaning out cauldrons.” He barked,and with a wave of his wand, three cauldrons thunked onto the table in front of Harry, startling the brat with the loud sound. The fear brought a small smile to the Professor’s lips as he resumed grading the third year essays, which promised to be mostly Dreadful.

When the boy leaves, however, Snape cannot help having a little bit of fun playing with the boy’s now well known weaknesses. “Freak,” he murmured, knowing that had been one of Petunia Evans’ favorite epithets. The boy would not sleep soundly tonight.

And Severus would be able to identify the child’s wand, which was still in his possession.


	4. Medical Treatment on Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madam Pince is furious that so much is unknown about what happened to Harry Potter in her library.

Madam Pince had a reputation similar to that of Argus Filch, only worse. While Filch would mutter about hanging students by their hands in the dungeons, the punishments Madam Pince would enact on unruly or misbehaving students would make them _wish_ they were being strung up by their ankles by the Squib caretaker. A stern half-blood, she had no qualms about using Muggle methods of discipline, and plenty of vandals or would-be bullies spent hours on end cataloguing the library inventory by hand, a task other librarians would have left to House Elves. Even Professor Severus Snape was known never to enter her domain, as he had been a student when she was hired, and some yet-unknown-by-the-student-gossip-circle infraction had occurred during his seventh year, resulting in him dropping out of Hogwarts to obtain a Potions Mastery apprenticing for a Spanish version of what in Britain would be a Death Eater rather than face her punishment. Or at least that is what certain Slytherins fed the Hogwarts’ student lore, anyway. 

‘So when a young Ravenclaw first year was found in _her_ domain, injured and undressed, her first coherent thought past the fury running through her veins was punishment. The boy - and who he was (Harry James Potter, child of her one-time prefect Lily Evans) did not matter in the slightest other than as a potential motive for whatever demonic person had attacked a _child_ in her library - showed no response to the person who had found him, meaning Mr. Warrington, thank G-d, had not been the one to cause the bruising and bleeding on the child. In fact, after Madam Pince obliviated the fourth year to spare him the trauma and protect the privacy of the child who clearly had been disrespected and abused so far in his life, she helped Madam Pomfrey conduct diagnostic charms, and they detected no other Being or Beast had attacked the child at all. The only DNA found on his wounds were that of his own body and the bacteria found inside the closet he had been found in. The child must’ve done this to _himself_  - a thought that broke both Madams’ hearts.

But something or someone must’ve triggered the incident, and Madam Pince, due to the fact the Harry had clearly come to view her library as some form of a safer place than the rest of the castle, was granted access to the records of Madam Pomfrey’s previous medical exam. Among his possessions, the Mediwitch had found a note from Professor McGonagall, who was legally responsible for the students who were meant to be attending her class and would notified of what occurred immediately one said class ended, and the librarian noticed a book in his knapsack that was obviously not one from her library, as well as a few books that were.

Madam Pince spoke first, once the witches finished treating the child and searching him belongings. ”Occluding Octopuses... Perhaps the boy broke down after realizing he had been Legilimized? Some students do attempt the practice, given that the Headmaster has refused to ban the practice on Hogwarts grounds despite Legilimency being illegal on Beings who have yet to reach magical maturity... If students did attempt, we could have a lawsuit on our hands...”

”I am not allowed to use the spell that determines if said magic occurred unless the DMLE or Unspeakables gave me a warrant, which could only happen in the case of abuse by one’s magical guardian or a case of educational faculty misconduct. While Mr. Potter has undoubtedly been abused by his Muggle guardians, whom I and Filius have already filed Muggle charges against, since being Sorted Filius is his magical guardian, and has done nothing wrong thus far...”

Madam Pince sighed, thinking about how impossible opening a case of educational faculty misconduct would be with Albus Dumbledore leading the Wizengamot. Wixen Society had so many flaws in its legal systems compared to Muggle way of doing justice, although neither system was ideal. She remembered her childhood dreams of becoming a lawyer, and shuddered at the concept. Suddenly, Poppy Pomfrey continued her musings about what they should or could do, so the librarian paid attention. ”We have no legal recourse to find out what happened to the boy until he is awake, aware, and competent. Then, we _could_  legally dose him with Veritaserum, provided Filius consents. That would expedite the case against his Muggle guardians in the Ministry as well, but also may psychologically traumatize him, as his consent would not be required for the procedure.”

”They have another child in their care, though, so Mr. Potter is not the only alleged victim, so he might want to be able to protect his cousin...”

”Maybe. We can ask him when he wakes.”

Filius Flitwick burst into the room on a broomstick, frantic about his student and stressed after having taught fifth year Charms first period. “Mr. Potter was found unconscious and injured - Poppy informed me - I received the message as soon as the students left and flew here quick as I could.”

”He was also found without his robes or pants on, but I since redressed him and brought him here ASAP. I’ve also obliviated the prefect who found him, as the prefect was a Slytherin and I wanted protect Mr. Potter’s privacy.”

”I see- he was meant to be in Minerva’s class? What happened?”

”The child had a note excusing him to go here due to his inability to concentrate given the anniversary of his parents’ death from Minerva. We have no evidence she or any of your students did anything that may have aided his mental breakdown. He appeared to have gone to a supply closet in Irma’s domain instead of coming straight here as instructed.”

”Do we have any clues other than the anniversary of his parents’ death that might’ve triggered this?”

Madam Pince picked up another one of her library books from the child’s knapsack. “He had been reading about Occlumency, and he was also reading this.”  She then handed the half-goblin the book _Gender in the Wixen World._

”Oh. Oh. Perhaps... We mustn't speculate, but if he- if the child does end up being transgender, Poppy has my full permission to do whatever Harry requests, provided that you also approve.”

Madam Pomfrey, who has served transgender Muggleborns before, winced and responded. “Anything’s better than - than the self- mutilation and self-hatred I’ve had to treat people for for merely being assigned the wrong sex. Muggles have social  norms entirely backwards with regard to transgender people - children have come to me or their Heads of House, not you Filius, but Minerva and Ponoma, believing they’re freaks. It’s awful.”

”Everything is awful. And to think, we all must attend a feast in five hours from now.” All the faculty groaned - today was not a good day. And they would have to explain again, to Minerva, what the poor child did to himself- or herself? Themself? The professors knew nothing, and would learn little until the child woke up. Not to mention, Filius would have to handle his peers wondering where Harry was and what happened - why was Potter in the Hospital Wing? And what could Professor Flitwick say?

 Madam Pince felt she would be of little help to Harry, at least until the kid woke up, and so she exited. She was furious with the child’s Muggle relatives, knowing from her own past that magic often strengthened relationships and furious that fear enabled Harry’s relatives to instead physically harm their own family member. She had decorations to hang for the day, however. Cutting with Muggle scissors rather than using her wand would relieve some of her useless fury with people she had never and probably would never meet.


	5. Sprout

Ponoma Sprout enjoyed teaching her first years the most. They reminded her of newly transplanted seedlings, coming from the cramped pots of childhood to the fertile grounds of Hogwarts. First year was when roots sank down, friendships were forged. She enjoyed her third years for a similar reason - the first genuine choice a student makes at Hogwarts is what electives to take. Professor Sprout offered a few electives, and she taught them all herself, always thrilled to help a student discover a new passion.

November was a busy month for her, although Hagrid did most of the tree work in preparation for Christmas, because so many plants needed special treatments for the winter. This did give the Professor an excuse to assign her third years some root trimming of the mimbletonias, group work guaranteed to keep them busy as she planned her next lecture. The elective was Forgotten Fungi: Powers in Plant Pathology, and her third years this class were from Gryffindor and Slytherin houses. The students were trusted to pick their own groups, an honor she did not award her first years. Mostly the groups were comprised of a single house, which she would not see in her Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw section.

  
Nevertheless, she kept her eye out for trouble - the fungus the students were removing was likely to squirt foul-smelling liquid if they weren’t careful, and she had half of the infamous Weasley duo in her class. Fred and George were not actually attached to one another completely, and they had chosen one elective each that would be independently. Fred had chosen Fungi, while George picked Runes.

 

Fred, Katie Bell, and Lee Jordan were talking as they spelled away the mycorrhizae infecting the plants. Professor Sprout couldn’t stop herself from eavesdropping.

”Ron’s really torn up about it! His best mate was in the hospital wing one minute, and just disappeared from Hogwarts the next. And I mean, I’m not usually friends with Ravenclaws, but Harry was a good kid. I just don’t know how to help Ron when nobody knows if he left or Death Eaters got him or what...” Fred fell uncharacteristically silent.

”I don’t think Death Eaters would just suddenly start acting out ten years after You-Know-Who died. He probably ran away. I heard a rumor that on Halloween he had some kind of breakdown in the library and you know what eleven year olds are like.” Lee Jordan was the one talking, multilating the leaves of the mimbletonia until Katie grabbed his knife.

”Lee, you’re not doing it right! My turn. Anyway maybe he’s just camping out in the Forbidden Forest. Wouldn’t be the first time the Centaurs let a human hide among their midst.”

Professor Sprout has noticed Ron Weasley was downcast, but she had no idea one of her students, a _first year_ _,_ went missing. Surely Dumbledore would’ve had some kind of faculty meeting if something like that had happened?   
  


Her first year Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff class was immediately after lunch. Professor Sprout still lectured for her fifth years, but she was not up to her usual standard. She took attendance, a formality she rarely cared enough to do.

Harry Potter was absent. The date was November 7th. A student was missing for six days without her noticing. What kind of Professor was she? What kind of school were they running?

 


	6. Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That ruddy bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place earlier than the previous chapter did

Dark robes stalked the stone halls of Hogwarts. A man was beneath them, but he had Disillusioned himself so as to not attract attention from any of the ~~snot-nosed brats~~ students or ghosts that might otherwise bother him. The man was furious, and in no mood for any of Peeve’s tricks or to be forced to even discipline any student stupid enough to do magic in the corridors. No, Severus Snape was on a rampage headed in one direction only.

”Mars Bars,” said the Professor to the stone gargoyle, scowling as he named the Muggle sweet.   
The brightly furnished headmaster’s office awaited him as he climbed the last few stairs to his destination. “Albus!” Professor Snape announced, making his presence known to the old man who had been inside his trunk, which was charmed to contain a bowling alley within it. Sighing at the harsh reality that he was headmaster and thus was required to handle the younger man’s complaints, Albus Dumbledore put his lilac robe back on and climbed out of his trunk back into the office proper, where the Potions Master was glaring at Fawkes.

”Hello Severus, what may I help you with today?”

Professor Snape’s scowl only grew as he watched the headmaster leisurely plop into an armchair, not offering Snape a seat or even a lemon drop. “Your bird - that ruddy bird-“ Snape breathed, calmed himself. His job was what kept him out of Azkaban, remember that. “I believe we had an agreement that Fawkes was no longer allowed in the dungeons, sir.”

”Yes, I do believe that is correct. I can assure you Fawkes has not been anywhere near your common room, and in fact has been in Hagrid’s care most of the week, recovering from a nasty case of the avian influenza.”

”Then why, sir, has my office door been burnt to a crisp? You know that the only way to break through my wards is Phoenix fire! You-“

”Perhaps, Severus, your wards needed repairing? I can call one of my goblin contacts if you’d like.”

”No, no, the wards remain as intact as ever. What is not intact, however, is my door! And without a door all the students could see into my personal private living conditions! What- if it wasn’t your bloody bird, who was it?”

”I don’t know, Severus, but we can contact Ollivander’s together if you would like - any wand with a Phoenix feather could have burnt through the wards, although those are so extraordinarily rare that I had not prepared for that possibility.”

An eventful floo-call later, Severus returned to his damaged apartment.

“Aaaarrrrrgggh!” The frustration finally broke him. The Potter brat, that damned Potter brat, was the only student with a Phoenix-core wand. And Snape had taken his wand into his apartment, so the burnt door wasn’t intentional - the wand merely needed to reunite with its owner. Why, oh why had Severus forgotten about his wand lore before that damned detention?! And Potter wasn’t even there to take his anger out at because the dunderhead ran away after throwing a tantrum in the hospital wing, stealing valuable Hogwarts property when he did (both the thestral and the library books the child kept with him).


End file.
